How to Increase Potassium With Food Intake

Potassium is a mineral that plays an important role in the diet. Because potassium is an electrolyte, it has an electrical charge when it is dissolved in bodily fluids. This allows cells to change their own electrical charges by altering the concentration of potassium both inside and outside of the cell. If you have too little potassium in your diet, it can cause problems for many different tissues, including muscle and nervous tissue, so it is important to make sure you get enough potassium in your diet.

Instructions

• 1

  Increase your vegetable intake. Vegetables that are high in potassium are tomatoes, avocados, carrots, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, cabbage, broccoli, sweet potatoes, peas, pumpkin and beans. If you are not eating any of these vegetables, try to integrate some.

• 2

  Eat more fruits. Some fruits that are high in potassium are bananas, orange juice, apples, cantaloupe, peaches, apricots and watermelon. Dried fruits have less potassium than raw, though raisins and prunes have potassium in them as well.

• 3

  Replace white flour and bread with whole grains. Whole grains contain more potassium than white, and they have additional health benefits as well, such as more fiber. Consuming brown rice instead of white rice and eating bran can add potassium as well.

• 4

  Decrease your intake of foods and beverages that deplete your body of potassium. These include coffee, other caffeinated beverages and alcohol.